XIII: The Name They Had Given Me
by 44 Caliber LOVE Letter
Summary: Roxas is new to Organization XIII, and when he meets a girl from his past life and starts visiting her frequently, he thinks that he can live with that. Then, a new girl joins the Organization, and suddenly, Roxas has some tough decisions to make.RoXioNam
1. The Beginning

**Chappy-san: Okay, so there's some sort of my own twist on this story, so it isn't exactly like Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, or 358/2, so be warned! **

**Disclaimer: I really would not like to be sued please. **ω

_One week. One week it's been since I first joined the Organization, and I don't remember a thing from before, a thing from my "past life". They all say that it doesn't matter if I remember or not, because all that matters now is that I work for the Organization now. But why did they need me for this job anyway? Was it because of some special reason? Was it because of....of this damn keyblade? I just want someone to understand, but I haven't talked since the day I've joined. Will someone hear my silent cry for help?_

_**XIII**_

_**Chapter One: The beginning**_

"Roxas! Roxas wake up!"

The spiky haired blonde shot out of bed, not because of the loud voice next to him, but because he had another one of those dreams. He was drenched in a light sweat, and his breathing was irregular. He couldn't feel it, but he knew that it was fear, and a mixture of some other unknown emotion that he hadn't yet studied...

The man next to him seemed proud, in a sense. "Good, you're up! Now come on, you've got your first mission today!" The red-headed, spiky haired tall man slapped the back of Roxas, and a grin spread over his face. "Exciting, right?"

Roxas didn't say a word, still choked up on that bizarre dream, and still slightly scared of the hyperactive man. He just had this aura around him that made you want to vomit; it was happy, and sarcastic, and a narcissist was in there somewhere. A horrid mix.

Axel was his name. He was the first person that Roxas ever really met in the Organization. Then again, he really did stand out with his fire-engine red hair that was long, and slicked back into dagger-like spikes. And those weird triangle tattoos under his eyes...

Roxas shook himself out of his thoughts, a faint innocent blush crossing his face. He didn't work..._that way_, but simply thinking of himself scrutinizing this skinny tall man before him, just made him feel like that.

"-And so we get another newbie this week." Axel shook his head, digging through Roxas' closet, getting out their signature black leather cloak. "I can't believe how many kids we're scouting, it's unbelievable," He ducked his head further into the closet, looking deeper for the dark object in the pure white room. "How many people do we really need to create Kingdom Hearts?"

Roxas hadn't been paying any attention to his complaining, nor did he really care at this moment in time. Actually, he was starting to get slightly annoyed with Axel's presence. Couldn't this guy see that all he wanted to do was sleep? If anything, just get his few hours of rest _away_ from this week of horridness?

"Ah! Here it is!" Axel exclaimed, taking out (the much shorter than his) black cloak that Roxas had hung the night before, after a long day of trying to get used to the Castle. Again.

The place truly was huge, and it hung in the never-light sky, bound to the edge, almost as if it was going to fall. But it never would, and above it all, was that giant moon in the shape of a heart. Roxas would sometimes stare at, wondering the most random of things. Why was it there? Was it forced to be there, or did it have a choice? Did it have the same problems and confusions as he did?

In a lot of ways, Roxas kind of looked up to the moon (in the literal and exceptive way). The first day he came, he felt that the moon was truly the only thing that understood him.

"Aye, catch."

_Shloom!_

Roxas took off the article of clothing from atop his head "H-"Roxas was about to yell, but was cut off by the intercom over head:

_Number XIII and Number VIII, please report to the main hall immediately, I repeat, Number XIII and Number VIII, please report to the main hall immediately. _

Roxas could hear Axel grunt in response to the intercom. "Me too? Ugh, don't tell me I'm stuck with this newbie mission too?!" He threw his arms into the air animatedly and let out a huge grunting sigh. "Maaan, I hate babysitting!"

Roxas stayed silent, instead just letting Axel blow off some steam, which was ironic considering the man was a pyro. He played with the cold material of the leather, waiting for him to quit mumbling profanity and over all just leave his room.

"Damn. This sucks." He let out a sigh and rubbed to back of his head, looking down at Roxas with one eye closed. "I guess I'll see you around." He gave a wave as the sliding white door censored him, and whipped open. He gave a wave, not bothering to look back. "See ya."

Once the door closed, Roxas was engulfed by the sudden quietness in the white bland room. After a few moments, he stood up and proceeded to take off his night shirt, replacing it with the cloak. He continued with his black breaches and boots. As he idly buttoned up his cloak his mind suddenly hurdled back into the dream prior that night. He quickly shook his head, trying to think of anything but that. There was no way that he was going back into that dark depressing dream. Or nightmare, as it was more appropriate to categorize it in.

_How did I get mixed up in this mess?_ This was a frequent question that he asked himself, and the more days that he stayed, the more times he asked himself this.

But how exactly _did_ he get into this? Was it that damn day in Twilight Town, when he got just a little too curious?

_**XIII**_

"_Ahaha! Roxas, come on! We're going to go and get some ice cream!"_

_I spun around, grinning brightly at my friends, saying to Olette as she ran with Hayner and Pence, "Yeah, I'm coming! Just give me a second; I have to talk to Mr. Osel about that poster job!"_

_She nodded and gave me a smile, following the shouting Hayner. I watched after then all with my own smile; a smile of strong content. And with that smile still plastered onto my lips, I started walking up the steep hills of the Market place. _

_The Market Place was easily the biggest place in Twilight Town, and was sometimes referred as Twilight Town itself. Though this was a small place to live, it made everyone happy. Hell, even Seifer was happy, even if he didn't show it._

_To me, Twilight Town is just...the only place I've ever known. Don't get me wrong, I love the place, but I've never known what being happy feels like, what being __**truly**__ happy feels like. I'm not complaining, but sometimes, when we all sit on top of the Clock Tower near the Central Station, eating sea-salt ice cream, I can't help but feel....sad. When all the colors mesh and collide, and Olette always has to take a gasp of breath at the sight, I just sit there and stare, trying to figure out why exactly that red color always seems to hit me the most, the hardest. _

_I shake my head, smiling. I would ask why, and Hayner would threaten to push me off the Clock Tower if I mentioned anything that was school related. Of course, Pence and Olette would try to rescue me whenever I asked a school related question around Hayner (he despises school, if you haven't already guessed and gets violent when you mention it on the weekends, and __**especially**__ around summer vacation) but even __**they**__ don't know why that red, that one fiery piece of light travels so far out of all the other colors that make up the sunset. _

_Suddenly, a gust of wind blew and I felt a cold chill. I had left my jacket (if you wanted to call it that) back at the Usual Spot, and so all I was in was the cut-off black zip-up shirt that I usually wore under it. I felt the small goose-bumps rise up on my arms, spreading from one side to the other as I gave a shuddered breath. I should have left sooner, but now it was too late. If I didn't get into a warm place soon, my weak immune system was going to go berserk, and the last thing __**anyone**__ needs is a sick person._

_So, walking down the brick patterned road of the Market Place, I notice that gaping hole in the wall, right behind the moogle shop. If I recalled, it was the place where that haunted house was, right? I had heard Hayner and Seifer go off about it one day, saying that they were going to explore it or something like that. I wasn't paying too much attention to their bickering; I've become so used to ignoring it, like an annoying buzzing sound that just starts to disappear after a while._

_I stand in the middle of the crowded walkway, just contemplating whether or not I should go there. I had already forgotten about the cold, and the simple childish thing called curiosity just filled me. _

_I guess that I stood there too long, and a person ran into me, tumbling to the ground. I caught myself, but the being fell. "I am so sorry," I apologized, holding out my hand naturally, waiting for the person to grasp it._

_Then I looked down at what was on the floor: A sketch book. And normally, I wouldn't browse around in other people's business, let alone their things, but this one was a very catchy one, and grabbed my attention immediately._

_It wasn't just that it had pure, __**pure**__ white pages, or that the spiral was the most perfect of curls, or the intricate cover that lay on top of it all, it was the drawing that was being shown: A blonde, spiky haired boy, am even more spiky red-haired man, and what appeared to be a girl with short black hair, all holding hands together, wearing some dark coats._

_One thing was for sure, it was a bizarre picture, and another thing was for __**definite**__ sure, one of the people in that picture was me._

_One of the people in that drawing, from this person I had never met, was absolutely m. Stalker? Serial Killer? Mafia member?_

"_No, it's okay; I should have watched where I was going." Said a quiet voice, and I nearly forgot the person lying on the floor. I felt a small, smooth hand connect with mine and I finally focused on the being underneath me._

_It was a girl. She was very petite and small, and had blonde hair just like mine, all pushed to one side. She wore an art dress, that was as white as the pages in her sketch book, but she was wearing a bulky sun hat, and it just seemed to ruin the perfect image of her. Her eyes, where the same light yet deep sea-cerulean blue as mine were. She was indeed very, __**very**__ pretty._

_Returning back to reality, I lift her up from the dirty ground, and immediately sneak a look at her dress (in a non-perverted way, of course) just wanting to make sure that I didn't stain it in anyway. I crouch down and pick up her sketchbook as she dusts off her dress, and fixes her giant hat. I hand her the skinny, yet full book. You could tell it was full, only because the weight of the led was weighing it down. "Here you go. You dropped it."_

_Once she looked up, ready to thank me, a smile already beaming on her face, she said, "Thank-you, Roxas. If I lost it, Diz would be very angry with me." She gave me a wink and then set off._

_I stood there, completely dumfounded. How did that girl know my name? I had never seen her in my entire life! And what's worse, is that I don't even know __**her**__ name! Serial Killer? I think not, though my suspicions where just rising up on the meter. I had so many questions, and no answers. _

_Right as I finally shake out of my thoughts, I see that she is already gone. I look around frantically, trying to spot anything of her, maybe particularly that giant sunhat. _

_But to no avail. I still try though. I jump over the large groups of people shopping around, pushing and shoving, running around like a lost puppy. Finally something catches my eye: that giant sunhat._

_I start running to it, locking my eyes so that I wouldn't lose it. But these people kept pushing back on me, probably trying to get to the Tram. I grunt in aggravation and I know I can't lose her, not right now, I was going to get answers._

_So, I jump up onto the roof of the moogle shop, some onlookers stopping to watch, I don't care though, I just want to get to Blondie._

_I start lightly jogging around the little circle shop, my eyes not paying attention to where I'm walking, but to that damned hat. __**'Don't lose her, don't lose her...'**__ I almost lost my balance though, that was for freakin' sure. _

_She seems to notice me, and turns around to look up directly at me. What are the chances of that? She looks up on the roof of a building to see me there. I can tell she knew I was following, because she smiles and continues on. I keep on. She wants me to follow her...?_

_I take a giant leap and am on the next roof, running faster because it was wider than the shops roof, and I know I won't fall this time. She still has a smile on as she heads in that crack in the wall. I stop, waiting to see if she was just playing with me. _

_That's where the haunted house was. Why would she go into the woods where the haunted house was? I started panicking, throwing my face into my hands as I come across some chilling discoveries. What if the girl was a ghost? And she just wanted me to follow her so that she could take my soul away?_

_I shake my head. What a childish thought, there's no such thing as ghosts. Now, before I take another thought and totally regret even doing this, I run and jump off the second roof, and the third, and then make my way over three electric boxes, to another shop and take my final jump, and I land right in front of the gap in the wall; the forest where the haunted house lay._

_**XIII**_

Roxas gave out a sigh. That memory was starting to fade more and more every day, and as much as he wanted it to disappear, he wanted it to last forever. What happened after that memory, Roxas doesn't remember, but it haunts him every night, and personally, it bugs him too.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Roxas jumps upon hearing the raptures of pounds. His door slides open, and he sees Axel standing there, leaning against the door frame, fully pissed.

"Saïx called more than ten minutes ago, what the _hell_ are you doing?! Don't you know never to leave him waiting?!" Before Roxas could make a comeback (not that he was going to say it out loud) Axel grabbed his wrist and started pulling him along, even if Roxas still hadn't buttoned his coat up all the way. "That asshole is going to tear me a new one now...."

Roxas let Axel mumble words of profanity once more, just staying silent and letting the spiky-haired man tug him along through the huge white, blank halls of the Castle. Roxas, never really paying much attention to it before, had never realized exactly how _big_ the halls were. They were not only freaking long, but unbelievably tall. Of course, the only real sizing he knew about the Castle was the outside, and when he looked up at that moon.

As Axel took long strides, Roxas tried to keep up. Number VIII was _at least_ three feet taller than Roxas was, and with his skinny compositions, you'd think that as soon as you blow on him, he'll tip over and fall. Roxas knew better than that. If he was an Organization member, there was no way he was weak enough to simply fall over with a single breath.

_Clack, clack, clack_

Their boots thumped against the white tile, echoing endlessly around them. They were headed to the Grey Area; the one place that Roxas was positive had a couch in it. Roxas hesitantly looked up at Axel, who had seemed to cool off a bit, but his features were still hard with frustration. Roxas shifted his eyes back down to the floor, a little sadly, though it didn't show. Did he really take that long? He couldn't help but feel bad for Axel. Due to his careless reminiscing, he had caused Axel to be angry, and get into a lot of trouble (maybe).

Roxas shook his head. He was starting to sound like a little kid. Axel must've noticed, because he said in a quiet tone, "Hey, don't sweat it, alright? I probably shouldn't have gone off like that anyway."

XIII just stayed silent, but felt relieved. He was glad that he wasn't the source of Axel's problems, whether he was lying or not, just to make the young boy feel better.

Though it felt like forever, they finally hit the Grey Area, and this was the first time that Roxas had ever really been there. The title really did fit the description: A grey area. The place was as bland as the rooms were, and even the furniture was the same, boring color as the walls: A dull grey. Roxas looked around the room a little sickly. Was the whole castle just like this room, and he just never really paid any attention to it?

Axel, still not have letting go of his wrist, dragged him towards an equally tall, white haired man, with a significant scar in the shape of an 'X' right in between his eyes. Immediately the man looked down at Roxas, and Roxas adverted his gaze to the hypnotizing boring floor. His eyes were an ice cold blue, and he couldn't stand the sight of them; it was like shooting daggers through him. It was a very chilling experience.

_And I'm going to be stuck with it for...._ Roxas stopped, confusion setting in his head, but not on his features. Exactly how long _was_ he staying here? Now that he thought about it, they never said when he was leaving, or exactly what their mission was to complete. They never told him anything...

"- And you must complete it in three days time."

Roxas' head shot up, now trying to focus on the conversation before him that wasn't making the least bit of sense.

Axel, who was giving Saïx a nonchalant look, said, "Sure sure, we've got it memorized, All-Mighty-Leader. Can we go now?"

Saïx, who didn't seem amused by Axel's snootiness, countered hotly, "Remember, Axel, this is Roxas' first mission, his first test. Please don't do it for him, no matter how emotionally attached you have become to him."

Roxas pretended like he didn't hear that last comment, and listened as Axel clenched his jaw and said, "Che, whatever you say, L-E-A-D-E-R. We'll be done with it in a day and a half. Come on Roxas, we've gotta pack and get ready." _Still_ not have letting go of his wrist, Axel pulled Roxas away, heading back to the rooms. Roxas looked up, unfortunately, and met those cold, emotionless eyes, and felt a chill go up his spine. But while he was having a fear attack, a question ran through his mind: Why was Saïx in the Organization?

_Wait, what was the mission about?_ Roxas thought, trying to go back a few moments in his mind and figure out the conversation. All he remembered hearing was something about heartless that were flooding a town.

Roxas, about to ask, looked up and noticed a very distressed looking Axel. He seemed so focused on his walking, and a little bit frustrated. His eyes looked distant, and suddenly, his features shifted to one of....sorrow, it seemed like. It was very slight, and it almost seemed as if his features hadn't changed at all, but Roxas, who had an eye for details, caught it without a second glance.

"Ax-"

"We'll leave as soon as you're ready, so when you're done packing, come and get me. I'll be in my room." And with that, he left.

Roxas hadn't even realized that they had made it to his room, all he was focused on was Axel, and how when he spoke, it also sounded distant. After standing there for a few moments, Roxas stepped into his room and looked around it's blankness with a hint of anger. Shaking his head, he went to his closet and started randomly packing things, not even aware of what he was grabbing.

Then he felt cool metal and he almost flinched back. Slowly, he stuck his hand back into the closet and grasped the giant key-shaped sword, its glistening silver handle, gold-yellow box guard around it, and the smooth metal that ran up, into the shape of the key at the top. Upon hearing the clanking of the crown shaped keychain, his anger rose up.

_It was all this damned key's fault._

Throwing it back into the closet with such force that it shook his entire room, he slumped down, lying on the floor, his arms and legs extended. He suddenly felt very hot in the pure black leather cloak, and so he took a deep breath.

His mind went back to how his first mission was about to start in less than an hour. Then his mind went to how he wasn't even paying attention to what his mission even was supposed to _be._ With what the only information he had, he still didn't have the slightest idea as to what it was. A town? That doesn't really narrow things down.

And Heartless? He remembered the first time he had encountered a heartless, though every time he tried to think about it, his head always got sharp pains, and it the memory itself was as blurry as fog. It was shaky, and you could never make out the people, or the voices, it sounded like everyone was underwater trying to speak to each other.

Roxas let out another heavy sigh. He better finish packing so that they could get a move on, and quickly get his first mission over with, so that he wouldn't have to feel so anxious. He didn't like anxious. He sat back up, and with a new cool head, he finished packing, this time, paying attention to what he was throwing into his small pouch, though he didn't dare to look at the keyblade that loomed in the back of his closet.

Zipping up the bag which wasn't that full, he thought, _I hope this isn't too much._ He picked up the pouch and swinging it over his shoulder. He made sure that he had all the potions and elixirs him and Axel could share. After all, Axel didn't want to "babysit" on this mission just as much as Roxas didn't even want to _do_ the mission.

Stepping out of the room, he made the short (yet it felt long) walk over to Axel's room, making sure that he kept track of the cracks on the floor, or else he would have been so confused with the repetended look that he would have just been going in circles.

Taking one deep breath, he knocked on the door, and watched it slide open, the tall, red-headed man; look down at him, his arms crossed. He stayed silent, as if waiting for Roxas, who had his head down, to do something.

Looking back up, facing Axel, he said, "I'm ready for my mission."

_**XIII**_

**Chappy-san: Okay, so this is the first chapter! I didn't know if it was long enough, or was detailed or anything haha ^_^' But I just want to say, I am very, very sorry that this was such a boring chapter! (If you thought it was that is) I also apologize for any misspellings and or grammar errors, I am only human. Oh, and sorry, no flaming please, I am a very sensitive person! ;) Just kidding, BRING IT ON YOU FLAMERS! The next chapter will be his mission, so...I hope you stick around to see it! If you keep reading, you'll get a sneak preview of the next chapter! ;) As an apology present.**

_**SNEAK PREVIEW**_

"_Hello Roxas, it's good to see you again."_

_Roxas lost his breath at the sight, wanting to shake his head or rub his eyes, but he was frightened that if he did so, the image before him would disappear. __**It's fake...It's fake...There's no way this is real.**__ But there was no mistaking it; the blonde hair that was tossed over one shoulder, that white art dress that was as white as the pages in that sketch book with that intricate design she was carrying..._

_Roxas took a sharp breath, almost having not breathing for a minute straight. When Axel told him that they were going to Twilight Town, of course this girl went through his mind, but he never thought that she would still be there, let alone be in that haunted house that he had snuck into so many months ago._

_The girl giggled and tilted her head to the side, her hair moving slightly, the shoulder piece to her dress sliding down a little. She smiled at his confused look, almost amused and said, "I don't think I ever got to properly introduce myself, my name is Naminé."_

_**XIII**_


	2. Damn, If I Only Knew

**Chappy-san: Okay, I just want to get something cleared up; I've changed the pairing to a RoxNam ONLY so that I could get more viewers! Is that selfish? ^_^' And the fact that it is now a RoxNamXion Story. _ Sorry for any confusion, that was a mistake on my part!!! I apologize! And I once again changed the summary (because they are not my strong suit) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. The Jap's do. ¬_¬ **

**Chapter Two: Damn, if I only knew**

_**XIII**_

"And remember; be back in three days time, understood?"

Axel just lobbed his head, not really a nod, but not really ignoring the question. "Yes sir!" He replied sarcastically, closing the cockpit to the Gummi Ship. Saïx backed up from the floating aircraft, watching as it raced away into the night sky. He stood there long after it had disappeared from his vision, and he, of course noticed the sound of footsteps behind him.

"What is it?" He practically growled, his eyes still not moving from the night sky.

"Do you think he'll do okay? Roxas, I mean...." A deep voice asked, leaning against the door to the hanger. The man was Xigbar, and he was member II of the Organization. He was a pretty middle-aged man, and looked to be in his mid-thirties, early forties, though if you told him this, he'd probably kill you on the spot. He also had this noticeable streak of white that went through his black head and an eye patch on his right eye. He liked to goof around a lot, much like Demyx, but when you needed him to be serious; you could always count on him.

Saïx stayed silent, giving a low, throaty sigh. "He will, only because he has the keyblade on his side. We need him if we are to complete our destiny. He is the only one who can help us...."

Xigbar chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Kingdom Hearts and all its glories. Once we get enough hearts, we can finally be whole again, and have a heart of our own. We know the drill Saïx, but at the rate we're going with this "heart collecting" we're never going to be finished. After all, the keyblade is the only weapon in this whole damned castle that can even collect hearts."

You had to have a lot of guts to talk to the second in command like that, but Saïx didn't seem in the least bit pushed. Finally turning around to face the man, Saïx said, "I know..."

_**XIII**_

They flew in silence, Axel steering the ship and Roxas looking out the window, anxiety filling him. He couldn't deny the fact that this mission, his _first_ mission, was already beginning. His mind just couldn't wrap around that fact, though by now, it really should have sunk in. He had to get used to this, after all. Everyone in the Organization had a part, and Roxas wasn't just going to sit back and let everyone else do all the work, even though he still isn't quite sure what they're doing.

He sighed, sure that they would tell them when they were ready. Or they thought _he_ was ready. Either way, eventually. But, when exactly will eventually be? He sighed again, letting his head rest against the palm of his hand as he looked out at the breathtaking view of the galaxy.

If he wasn't so choked up on this mission, he would have been ecstatic about the view. With the purple and black, colliding with the white dots that were stars, and as they rode faster and faster, it seemed to zoom by, making colors unheard of. It made you feel like you were in heaven itself, so beautiful.

"Roxas," Axel said, making Roxas turn around from the scene before him. "Look out the window to the left, that's the town."

Roxas nodded, giving a low mumble sound. He moved from one end of the ship to the next, looking out the window that Axel had told him to look out of. For now, he saw nothing, just the same amazing scene, but then he saw something small in the distance, almost a tan color.

He focused in so much that his nose was practically touching the window. For some reason, his heart started to pound in his chest and his breathing became ragged. Just like when he had that dream. Every inch, every centimeter that they came closer, Roxas felt worse. He was fighting just to catch his breath, and it hurt to blink.

"Twilight Town. That's where most of the heartless are. Congrats, this town is officially your first mission. You know..."

But Roxas wasn't listening. After he heard those, _unbearable_ words, his breathing immediately hitched, to where he was having a war with his lungs. _Twilight Town._ That memory was in Twilight Town. The "friends" he once had, but left forever was in Twilight Town. To be honest, he never really thought that he would ever come back. He was actually hoping that he would never even have to come back.

Now he had to face those fears, and those nightmares. He was trying his hardest right now, on the ship, and they hadn't even entered Twilight Town's atmosphere.

_I'm...going to-_ He shook his head, trying to shake away the cockpit that was now moving around, spinning, if you will. He was starting to get sick, and he really didn't feel like throwing up in their vehicle.

Too late though.

Roxas lost his conscious, and fell to the floor of the ship with a loud thud. Axel kept ranting, until he heard the thud. "Ah crap!" He exclaimed, quickly turning the _AutoPilot_ on and rushing to Roxas' side. He picked his limp body off of the floor. "Roxas, hey Roxas! Wake up! Do you get motion sickness or something?" He grunted, lifting his body up from the floor and putting him into a chair gently. "Ugh, I _hate_ babysitting."

_**XIII**_

The bright sun was the one thing to wake Roxas. It was the sun that woke him up so many times at some point in his life.. It had the same warm touch, warm embrace, and overall safe feeling that he faintly remembers. He shot up from his sleeping position on the bench that he was lying on, scanning his surroundings.

He remembered. His head suddenly got a sharp feeling, and he grasped it. It felt like someone was squeezing his head like a grape, and the images that ran through were flying across his vision so fast that he nearly passed out again.

Axel, who had been bargaining with a store clerk, rushed over with a bag of food that he had just gotten. He put his shoulders on Roxas' and yelled calmly (if that was possible), "Hey hey, calm down. We've already landed, so you should feel better by now." He reached down into the paper bags and pulled out a water bottle and a bluish rectangular thing on a stick. Roxas took the water bottle, but looked at the delicacy weirdly. Axel looked from him and to the frozen treat and back again. "It's sea-salt ice cream. Don't you know what ice cream is?"

Roxas felt his heart start to race at the word, and he thought he was going to throw up again, it was like the feeling he had when he was on the Ship. Swallowing hard, he slowly stuck out his hand to grasp it, but his hand twitched back and he blacked out again, this time, actually dreaming.

_**XIII**_

"_Hey you guys, wait up!" I screamed as I ran up to the station, where the clock tower loomed over head. Out of breath, I put my hands to my knees and take a moment to catch it. "You guys walk too fast." I say, with a chuckle._

_Hayner laughs and pats me roughly on the back, Olette and Pence watching in awe, and with smiles plastered on their faces. "Ah, naw. You just walk too slow Roxas." I laugh and now am able to stand, my breathing regular._

"_Just in time though Roxas," Olette says with a smile, pointing up at the giant Clock Tower. "We were just about to go up there and watch the sunset!"_

_I look at her dumbly and surprised. "Sunset? Up there? That's really high Olette, and I thought Pence here was scared of heights?"_

_Pence's face lights up and he pouts, "I'm going to get over it eventually! I can't just stand all the way down here and watch you guys go up there! I'll get lonely!"_

_I laugh, as well as the rest of the group. Pence just crosses his arms and puffs up his cheeks childishly. "You guys are so mean! Everyone has fears..."_

_Rolling his eyes, Hayner says, "Whatever. Hey, we'll meet you guys up there, okay? Roxas and I are gonna go and get some of that new ice cream that just came out!" He digs into his pockets and pulls out a ring of keys. "Here, this is to open the door to the stairs." He throws it at Pence and grabs my wrist and starts pulling me away. "We'll be right back!"_

_As I'm being dragged off, I hear Olette scream, "Wait, what?!"_

_I can't help but laugh. Normally, she's the one who is on top of everything, and to see her confused is a rare sight. I turn around, finished with being dragged, and start running with Hayner, not sure where we're going, but wanting to beat him in a race anyway._

_I lost, of course. But only by an inch. Literally. He pushes me to the counter of the store, and I look around the small shop. It was like a drive thru for people, so we never had to walk inside for anything. You could tell it was new too; it had new paint, and the fresh air from the freezer was so strong that it almost numbed your face. _

_Hayner pushed ahead of me, seeing as to how I wasn't ordering, and said, "Four sea-salt ice creams please!" He pushes the cash forward before the cashier lady even has time to punch in their order. He turns back to me and gives me a grin and a thumbs up. "I hear this stuff is really great."_

_I grin back, hoping he was right. I never really liked sweets, and this was actually the first form of ice cream I've had in a very long time. I trusted Hayner too, even if he had a __**huge**__ sweet tooth, total opposite of me. If he said it was great, then I was at least going to give it a try._

"_Okay, here you go sir!" The lady says enthusiastically, handing us the four rectangular blue treats. I look at it like it was garbage. Why the hell was it blue?_

_But Hayner looks at it like it was a gift from the gods. He grabbed two of them and said equally enthusiastically, "Thanks!" Then he turns to me and says, "Come on Roxas, before they melt."_

_I nod and take two, thanking the woman also, and followed Hayner back to the Station. We walked this time, not wanting to drop our new inventory. I examined the two in my hand, and wondered what made everyone so crazy about them. I mean, you should have seen the lines for that place, they were huge! I look over at Hayner and I see him eyeing the frozen treats like he was about to devour them on the spot. I start to laugh._

_He notices, and his expression changed into a confused one, his ecstaticness disappearing. "What?"_

_I just keep laughing. "You should see the look on your face when you stare at these things." I take another breath, only to laugh harder. "It's priceless. You know, if Olette saw you like that, she'd say, 'If only you looked at your homework like that'!"_

_Even he couldn't be mad at me for that comment. Instead, he joins my laughing fit. "Haha, you're probably right!"_

_After a long laughing fit, we go towards the end of the station, more towards the back, even though it stood on a giant hill and overlooked the entire town. Olette had left the door open, with the keys still in the lock. She must've felt bad for trespassing and left the keys in their thinking that the person who owned them would come back and try to look for them. Like it was a fairy tale for keys. We both look at each other and roll our eyes. Olette was so predicable that we knew the story even before she told us._

_We walk up the seven flights of stairs (with much regret) and open the door to the tippy-top of the building. We see Olette and Pence having an animated conversation, and Hayner immediately yells: "Hey! We got it!"_

_They both spin around, a relieved look on Olette's face, and an excited look on Pence's. He jumps up, oblivious to the fact that they were over thirty feet in the air, and almost tackles Hayner to the ground. "Gimme, gimme, gimme!" He says, reaching up for the ice cream in Hayner's hand. _

"_Sheesh, dude," Hayner says, slowly dragging his extended hand back down and handing one to Pence. "No need to almost kill me."_

_Pence rips the ice cream out of Hayner's hand with a psychotic look in his eyes, and I can't help but back up a little at the guy. If there was one rule that Pence had, it was never get in the way between him and food._

_He sits down, and suddenly the air around us is tense. Pence had always been our food tester, and right now, this was a critical moment for all of us. We all lean in as he slowly examines the dairy product, and then brings it to his mouth. Holding our breaths, we all swallow slowly and watch his face. _

_He takes one lick of it, and we all almost tensed up so much our muscles exploded. Finally, he set it down, and you couldn't tell the emotions on his face. About to give up, Hayner says, "I guess we can throw them o-"_

_But then Pence's face flies back up, looking like he had just gotten a severe case of whiplash, and screams, his eyes sparkling, "SEA-SALT ICE CREAM IS AMAZING!!!"_

_Letting out a relieve sigh, Hayner nearly bashes Pence's head in with the suspense he caused us. While they fought it out, Olette, who walked around the whole ordeal, comes up to me and asks, "Can I have mine then?"_

_I smile and hand her one of the popsicles to her. "Here ya go, hope you like it." _

_She smiles back and sits down at the edge, eating the treat with a new found sensational look. I too, follow her example and sit down next to her, Hayner and Pence eventually taking their places as well. As they all start to dig into our new found addiction, I just stare out at the town, the sun already starting to set, and I can't help but be captivated by it._

_Hayner sees me staring out and says, "Hey, Roxas, you know you can eat it __**and**__ stare off into space at the same time right?"_

_I laugh and say, "Sorry." I start to eat my ice cream and I feel a sense of security and unbelievable happiness run through me. This stuff really was as amazing as Pence said it was._

_Finishing my ice cream, we all kind of lean back into the scene before us. The colors clashing together, though I couldn't help but pick something out. I always tend to do that. People say I have an eye for details._

"_Hey you guys, why is it that the red travels the farthest?"_

_They all look at me like I was crazy. Hayner was the first to go off about it though. "Why the hell would you ask that? How about when we get back to school, you can ask a damn teacher!" Just the thought of school seemed to piss him off in every way imaginable. _

_Olette took a different approach on the subject. "I'm not sure Roxas. Maybe you should look it up."_

_Pence's reply was about the same. "Yeah, beats me too."_

_I just nod, not wanting to look it up. Not that I was lazy, I just didn't see the point in looking at twenty different pages of how it could be red, when I can just hear it from someone with experience. If that made any sense._

_When the situation died down, the sun finally began to set, and it seemed that the pink and oranges were starting to go farther and farther, making it the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Everyone seemed calm and comfortable, and happy. But that question still loomed in my mind:_

_Why is it that red travels the farthest?_

_**XIII**_

"Man, why does this kid pass out so much?" Axel hissed under his breath, grabbing the water bottle that hung loosely in Roxas' hand and opening it, pouring the contents onto his face.

Roxas quickly shook out of it and took a gasp of air, accidentally swallowing in some water. He began to choke and Axel started panicking. "Ah crap." Patting his back roughly, Roxas finally stops and just bangs his chest, just to make sure. Letting out a sigh, Axel says, "You get lightheaded easily don't you?"

Roxas doesn't answer, and just sits there with his head hung low, first looking at his lap, and then looking at the ice cream that had now fallen on the floor, when Axel had panicked. Standing up, Roxas walked over and picked it up, dusting it off and just standing there staring at it, feeling the memories of his dream come back and slowly wrap around him in a dark loom.

Axel sees the distressed air around the boy and says quietly, and as softly as he could, "Hey, you okay?"

Roxas doesn't answer again, and to break the tense air, they hear a loud shrill scream. Shooting their heads towards the sound, they see a crowd of people run towards them, and away from any danger that was occurring. The shops started closing left and right, and the people quickly depleting. Axel and Roxas quickly look at each other and run opposite of the screaming people.

Running and running, they hit the Sandlot, and see the cause of all the commotion. There stood around twenty or so Neoshadows, and Roxas had never seen one so he kind of just locked up at the sight. Axel on the other hand, grunted and summoned his Chakrams, ready to fight. "What the hell are Neoshadows doing here?!" He yelled, flaming up his weapon and throwing them at the group of enemies.

Roxas watched as Axel charged into battle, easily slicing and fighting his way through them. He also watched as small hearts appeared when he swept through them. Confused by the action, he tilted his head to one side, studying the floating organ. Suddenly, Roxas heard Axel scream, "Behind you!"

Spinning around at the last second, Roxas saw one of the Neoshadows jump up, its claw ready to strike. Roxas' face was one of fear and he threw his arms in front of his face, but then he heard something in the back of his mind, like a plea...

_Roxas! Don't give up!_

_**Clank!**_

Roxas, who had shut his eyes tightly, slowly opened them up only to see the keyblade now in his hands and the black enemy still hovering above, his claw connected with the blade. He could have sworn he heard the thing hiss against him, and his hand seemed to melt into smoke. Feeling the power of the keyblade in his hands, Roxas smirked, knowing that the keyblade trusted him, even if he wasn't so sure it was the other way.

Shifting his back foot, he pushed forward and connected the blade into the creature; slicing it into two and making it disappear in a cloud of smoke. The hissing was louder now, and Roxas smirk grew into a satisfied one. Adrenaline was rushing through him now, and he had to admit he was pretty proud of himself.

The heart appeared, and it was like the keyblade was drawn towards it, and when the two connected, the heart lit up and disappeared, just like that. Roxas didn't have time to wonder why, because he saw something dark slither to his left, and he spun around, ducking the claw that was aimed at his throat, and horizontally sliced right through its legs, destroying it.

Axel, who watched Roxas, noted that the kid wasn't that bad of a fighter. As a matter of fact, he thought that Roxas could be a really good sparring partner, in the future. Giving a smirk of his own, he lit up his weapons to a hotter degree, and went back-to-back with Roxas, seeing more Neoshadows appear around them.

"Heh, Roxas, you think you can handle them all?" Axel questioned, the heat radiating out of his weapons so intense that the Neoshadows didn't have much of a choice but to keep a distance and dance around.

Roxas didn't respond, but instead, just gripped the keyblade tighter. Axel took this as a yes and smirked. "Alright, you take that side and I'll take this side. We'll separate them, got it?"

In response, Roxas just ran forward and started hacking through them all, his heart racing in excitement, and it seemed that Axel was in sync with him. The more hearts that seemed to escape the heartless, the more drawn and powerful the keyblade seemed to feel in Roxas' hands. There was no doubt that he enjoyed the feeling.

As the Neoshadows quickly started to deplete, more quickly came in their place. Axel and Roxas, who were now starting to get tired, just gave one look at each other and nodded, knowing the plan without having to speak.

Axel started running in a giant circle, pushing the heartless behind his forming fire line, some of them staying within the circle. The fire began to rise, higher and higher, and the hisses from the heartless were rising as the heat started to get more and more intense. Roxas, who had jumped out of the hell fire ring before it had began, had used one of the materia he "borrowed" from the materia room, and sunk it into the keyblade. The blade started getting really hot, and Roxas knew he had to keep his hand on it, to make sure it worked. Then, it got really cold, and goose bumps traveled up his arm and to his neck and scalp. That's when Roxas held the weapon with two hands, and started firing at the heartless, freezing them in a block of ice in their places.

Axel, who could hear the magic of the materia begin to work, smirked and raised his Charkams as high as he could go, the fire becoming more and more intense, and the hissing of the heartless increasing. In their pitiful attempt to escape the ring Axel chuckled, "Oh no you don't!" And threw his fire rings at them, slicing them up easily. The weapons went around in the same shape and form as the ring, as if they were finding and destroying the heartless on their own. Axel started walking around the ring, his arms in the air, directing his weapons to wherever his hands pointed to. In a minute's time and to Axel's much disappointment, the entire fleets of enemies was down. A moment or two after, he could hear the icy sound from beyond his ring disappear, and he knew Roxas was done. He set his ring of fire down, so that it was a dim glow in some parts of their battlefield and walked over to Roxas. "You did great, if I do say so myself." He looked around at all the floating hearts and just nodded. "You better collect those, or Saïx would be pretty disappointed." He gave him one final pat on the back and walked away, the Chakrams returning to his hands without a single glance at them. "I'm going to go and scope out the other half of the town, you scope out this half, go it?"

Roxas nodded and held his sword tightly, turning around and walking away. He knew that Axel would be okay, but he still had this feeling that he should watch over the older man, even though it should really be vice versa. After all, Axel was supposed to be babysitting.

_**XIII**_

After walking for some time and only encountering a heartless or two, Roxas just decided to slump down against one of the buildings that seemed so oddly familiar, and the gaping hole in the wall was giving him such a headache, in more ways than one.

_Pip pip!_

Roxas threw his head to the right, grasping his keyblade in less than a second. But the sight before him wasn't one of the Neoshadows; it was more like a walking vending machine with the heartless symbol on its head. Tilting his head to one side, He notices the thing sniff around, and then look up and jump a little. It was a cute sight to see, Roxas couldn't deny that. It looked like a little lost puppy. He got up to his knees and started pursing his lips making a little sound, as if calling out to the thing. When it heard him, it coward back and ran into the hole in the wall. Roxas jumped up, following it into the dark area.

It seems that the hole led into woods, and Roxas tried his best to follow the little creature. It hopped and clanked all the way to a gate, and it started shaking as it saw Roxas approach. Deciding not to scare the thing any further, he kept his distance. Still shaking, it tried to push its way against the gate, as if trying to get further away. Roxas pouted, thinking, and then reached into his pocket and pulled out the little ball of materia he had used. It had lost its glowing blue hue, but it still just looked like a regular ball to anyone. He extended it, inviting the heartless to come and take it. It sniffed and coward a bit more, but Roxas gave off the aura that he wasn't going to hurt it. It moved closer to him, still cautious, and finally started sniffing the ball. Roxas smiled as it wrapped its razor sharp teeth around it and purred. Roxas started to pet its head, and the thing started to wag, and this made Roxas laugh. Heartless or not, this thing was adorable.

He started playing around with it, throwing the ball and watching it as it played fetch. Chuckling, Roxas and the heartless continued this on for a good ten minutes before he heard the gate in front of them suddenly start to clack open. The heartless ran over to Roxas in fear, and shook against his leg. Giving it a reassuring pat on the head, the little heartless seemed slightly calmed, but still quite shaky.

Roxas watched the gate fully open, swearing that he saw a giant lock on it not even five minutes ago. He stood there for a moment, just staring at the huge mansion, his mind aching again. Then a huge gust of wind came from behind him and practically pushed him through the gate. The heartless clung onto Roxas for its dear life, yelping, having easily been blown away. Roxas grabbed it closely, knowing that the wind was about to take them both straight into the house. He was ready for impact.

They crashed through the rusted front door, and straight into a little pillar that was standing in the middle of the giant front room. When they collided together, Roxas' back was the first to hit, and he snapped back and let's just say, it hurt.

Laying there motionless for a few moments, the little bugger started to worry, and noticed some hot wet liquid touching its little feet. It started to panic and made little whining noises, looking around the dark and chilling house, and then looking back at Roxas, nudging him.

He was about to go and run for help, when he saw black shadows loom from every corner. When they surfaced, the little heartless was faced with ten Neoshadows that were about three times its size. It coward once more and started shaking tremendously, obviously scared of the giant figures. It dug into Roxas' jacket, hoping to avoid looking at the creatures that started getting closer and closer with every passing moment.

That's when Roxas twitched and let out a little groan. The Rare Vendor let out a little happy yelp, and Roxas blinked a few times, seeing the thing wag once more, but then start to whine. Roxas, still in a dazed state, and his mind hurting more than anything, slowly sat up, and tried his best to take in the situation. One boy, one harmless heartless, ten definitely harm_ful_ heartless.

Damn.

Roxas knew that he didn't have enough time- or strength- to summon his keyblade. So, when they started to crouch down into an attack stance, Roxas did the only thing he could do: he grabbed the little heartless and wrapped his hands around it tightly, protectively. Closing his eyes tightly once more, he awaited the end of his new life, and the pain of it all.

He heard the hissing of them, and knew that they had already jumped. It was only a matter of seconds now....

"Bye-bye."

Roxas still didn't open his eyes, but he could hear the sound of the heartless disappearing quickly, and thought that that was the most painless death ever. But then he heard the clacking of shoes, and he slowly opened his dizzy eyes. He was starting to get sleepy.

He saw plain white shoes at the bottom of his vision, and he slowly looked up at the spinning figure before him, though as he did so, the pain in his neck was unbearable. But even in his painful and ditzy state of mind, there was no question or doubt to who it was before him.

"Hello Roxas, it's good to see you again."

Roxas lost his breath at the sight, wanting to shake his head or rub his eyes, but he was frightened that if he did so, the image before him would disappear. _It's fake...It's fake...There's no way this is real._ But there was no mistaking it; the blonde hair that was tossed over one shoulder, that white art dress that was as white as the pages in that sketch book with that intricate design she was carrying...

Roxas took a sharp breath, almost having not taken a breath for a minute straight. When Axel told him that they were going to Twilight Town, of course this girl went through his mind, but he never thought that she would still be there, let alone be in that haunted house that he had snuck into so many months ago. Though he was here now.

The girl giggled and tilted her head to the side, her hair moving slightly, the shoulder piece to her dress sliding down a little. She smiled at his confused look, almost amused and said, "I don't think I ever got to properly introduce myself, my name is Naminé."

_Nam...iné? _Roxas' mind went into overload, and the heartless under him was squirming to get out, wanting to lick the girl who had just saved them. Roxas' hands went limp, and the little thing ran after her, jumping and licking at her dress and hands. It wasn't aware that Roxas had passed out for the third time that day.

_**XIII**_

"Damn, where did that kid go?" Axel thought aloud, having searched the town for the third time in a row. "He couldn't have gone that far, after all, he doesn't know this place very well. I'm sure he would just chill around somewhere." He put a hand to his chin, the people walking past him (who had missed the whole catastrophe battle) looking at him weirdly.

"What's with his outfit?"

"Forget his outfit, what about his hair!?"

"What the _hell_ are those things hanging on his belt? Some sort of weapon?"

As the whispers and gossip erupted quickly, Axel was completely unaware of it. "...Unless he went off on his own. Then he could have easily been lost. Where could he have gone though?" He stayed silent for a moment, deep in thought. He continued walking, hoping that he could get a sign that Roxas was somewhere around. He paced back and forth through the town, secretly hoping that he would come across a giant sign that said, 'ROXAS IS HERE! ROXAS IS HERE!' He gave a defeated sigh. If only...

Finally, he saw that hole in the wall, and a chill went through him. He knew what lie beyond that hole, but the Organization always warned never to go beyond it. Then again, they never warned Roxas....

"Damn!" He shouted, catching the attention of everyone around him. "I hate babysitting!"

_**XIII**_

_Naminé...._

_Naminé...._

_Naminé...._

_Naminé...._

Roxas' head was pounding like crazy, and his body felt numb and extremely stiff. He gave a pained grunt and heard noise around him, like someone was doing something.

Then he felt a wet tongue glide across his face and he opened an eye. He saw the little heartless and he immediately felt better and relieved. He was glad that the Neoshadows didn't get to the little fella. Remembering the Neoshadows reminded him of his painful entrance, and the fact that he had been saved by-

He shot up from his position on a window bed. His head throbbing but he didn't care. He scanned desperately around the room, and he almost threw up from getting up so fast.

The room was white. Blank white, with a few paintings and drawings up against the wall on the opposite side of where he was sleeping, and everything was white. And when he said that everything was white, he meant that _everything was white._ The table with the chairs around it were white, the vase was white, even the flowers were white. The only things that had any color were the drawings, Roxas, and the little heartless.

Suddenly, he heard the door open and he pushed himself back into the bed quickly, giving himself another dizzy spell, but with his eyes closed, he really didn't feel it all that much (lie).

He shut his eyes, giving the false impression that he was asleep. The heartless noticed his action and tilted its head to the side, nudging at his head. The sharp pain returned, but Roxas tried his best to keep it as if he was sleeping through the whole ordeal.

He heard the sound of the door close, and the clacking of shoes. He clenched his teeth as the squeaking of a chair was dragged over to his bedside, and another clanking of what sounded like a bowl. Then, he felt a cool sensation wrap around his forehead, and another on his chest, which he just now noticed did not have an Organization coat wrapped around it. Instead, it seemed that it was bandages, and a lot of them.

The only sound that was produced was the dipping and re-dipping of the water. Eventually though, Naminé saw through his charade, as easy as it was, and said, "Roxas, you have a lot of questions to ask me, don't you?"

Tensing up, Roxas stayed silent for a few moments, but then opened his eyes to see the perfect image of a girl, and said, with a serious look. "Of course," He slowly sat up, looking down at his bare bandaged chest, and at then put a hand to his head, feeling bandages on it as well. Letting his hand go back down to his lap, he added, "Who wouldn't?"

She chuckled at this, her hand covering her mouth adorably, and she replied in her sweet, light voice, "Well, that's understandable, now isn't it?"

Roxas narrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought, like he was just trying to process how all this was even possible. To be quite honest, he didn't even know what question to ask first. Naminé noticed this, and tilted her head to the side, her blonde hair following suite. "Roxas," She smiled as she said this, like every time she uttered that word, she felt happy.

Roxas waited for her to say something, but it never came. Five, twenty, thirty seconds later, and it never came. So, instead, he decided to finally ask, "So...Your name is Naminé?" Such a simple question. Of course her name was Naminé! She already said that! Roxas grunted and threw his head into his hands. He was such an idiot.

Naminé couldn't help but laugh at the question. _This must be so much for him to take in right now_. She thought, though she never would have imagined, that even after he left his other life, that he still remembered her. Shaking her head lightly, she replied, "Yes, my name is Naminé. Any other questions?"

Roxas acted as if he was really _truly_ thinking about it. "Well...."

_**XIII**_

"This place really is as beat-up as I remembered it." Axel said, looking up at the bashed in door of the mansion. But something caught Axel's eye: the smoke from the destroyed wood was still fresh, and so that told Axel that this just happened recently. He walked in, his guard up. The smoke from the door choked him up and he began coughing. "God, I hate this place. Can't that girl learn to do a little cleaning?"

He stayed silent, undetected, and he heard the sound of chatter upstairs. He slowly walked up the flights of stairs, and crept silently towards the growing noise. "It has to be Roxas; there was no other person in this house that talks to her....She must've dragged him in. Ugh, stupid girl." Axel finally hit the door, and was ready to bash it down, when he finally heard the conversation that was going on. It wasn't the topic that made him so shocked, it was the fact that Roxas was even speaking. He hadn't uttered a word since he joined the Organization, and here he was having a full on conversation with a girl he had never even met (Assumption)! Now, he just stood there, listening in, and at the same time, thinking, _how could he not talk to me like that?_

_**XIII**_

"So, what you're saying is that you've known me for as long as I've been alive?"

Naminé nodded. "Yes, please, don't get the wrong idea..."

Roxas slumped back, a look of disbelief on his face. "Are you...really a ghost or something like that? Something supernatural?"

Naminé shook her head. "Well...I'm a witch, or at least, that's what Diz calls me." She looked at her lap sadly as she said this. "I was created and-"

"Wait, created?" Roxas couldn't hide the disbelief in his voice. "No one is created. Well, I mean, they are, but in a different sense." His face flustered innocently at the sheer thought. "But overall, no one just...pops out of nowhere."

Naminé looked at him sadly, though this look was one of pity. Her features changed, and it looked as if she was fighting off telling him something. "Roxas..."

Roxas perked up, petting the heartless next to him. "....Yeah?"

Her voice seemed to dim down, the sadness a heavier load. "You know, you're-"

But suddenly, the door busted down and everyone jumped. Roxas was ready to fight, even though he was in no shape to. He relaxed, though, when he saw Axel standing there, a bored expression on his face, but at the same time, an annoyed one. "Naminé," He growled. "What were you about to tell him?"

Naminé, who had a fearful expression on her face, replied stuttering, "W-Well, j-j-just what he has the r-right to know, that's a-all! He has a right t-to know Axel!"

Axel growled again. "No, he doesn't! We all shouldn't have a right to know! If we didn't know, we all wouldn't be here, doing what we're doing!"

Roxas stood back, sensing that this argument was a lot deeper than he thought. But it didn't matter, because he wasn't trying to keep up with it. He had his own little argument going on in his head. What was Naminé about to tell him? How did Axel know her? What was she about to tell him? How does he know her? What was she about to tell him, and how does he KNOW HER?!?

Roxas, finally having lost it, screamed. It caused the argument before him to immediately be silenced, and the small heartless to cower under the table. "What the _hell_ is going on?!"

No one answered. Instead, they just looked at him dumbfounded. Roxas, waiting for an answer angrily, finally gave up and bellowed again, this time at Axel, "Why are you yelling at her?! We were just talking!"

Axel, who was at lost for words, said nothing. That's kind of what happens when you're lost for words.

Roxas continued. "She was just trying to tell me some things I had questions for! Unlike you guys and that damn Organization! Why the hell am I there anyway? What the hell is my purpose? You guys just keep me in the dark, like the less I know the better!"

He then turned towards Naminé, and just said, "....And you....If you've known me for as long as you say...And you say that you're a witch...why didn't you try to find me sooner? Instead of me meeting you, why couldn't have you met me?"

The room was filled with guilt, and Roxas just grabbed his coat and headed out the room, leaving the two to wallow in the atmosphere. He didn't need this right now. To be straight forward, all he wanted was an Advil right now.

Hopping out of the room, the little vendor followed his suite, though he pouted for Naminé. You could hear the stomping go down the stairs, and eventually disappear from ear shot. The two people were left in the room, both staring down at the ground, their own versions of what just happened running through their mind. One thing was for sure in both their minds: _I don't want to lose him._

_**XIII**_

Roxas sat on top of the clock tower, overlooking the sunset that had now began to form. He felt the cool breeze fly through his hair, and sweep over his body. He hadn't put the coat back on, only because it was too painful to move his arms and put something like leather over his body.

The little vendor had followed him all the way to the top, and played recklessly on the edge. It seemed that the one thing the little tyke wasn't afraid of was heights.

Petting its head, Roxas said, "I guess I better give you a name huh?" The little thing wagged excitedly, thought it wasn't sure what he was even saying. "How about....Vending?" At this, it wagged even more and made a cooing sound. Roxas gave a small chuckle. "Vending it is."

He looked back out at the sunset, and never heard the door to the top open. The next thing he knew, Axel was sitting beside him, holding out an ice cream. "Hey,"

Roxas looked at him, and then at the ice cream, and back out into the sunset. "....Hey,"

He pushed the frozen treat closer to Roxas, urging him to take it. "I want to apologize for not having ever talked to you about the Organization. It must be hard for you to be the new kid. I'll try to buzz you in now and then about things, 'kay?"

Staring at him seriously, Roxas could see that Axel was legit about this. A few tense moments later, and Roxas gave a soft grin, taking the sea-salt ice cream out of the pyro man's hands. "Sure,"

They both stared off into the sunset now, a relieved feeling draped over them. Then, out of nowhere, Axel said, "Hey, Roxas, do you know why red travels the farthest out of all the colors?"

Too shock to speak, he just shook his head. Axel chuckled and said, "It's because among the countless colors compressing the light, red has the biggest waves, and so it travels the farthest. Pretty neat, huh?" He grinned and chuckled.

Saying nothing but to feel a strong sense of newfound friendship for the man next to him, Roxas just countered, "Who said I asked? Know-it-all!" They both laughed, and watched the rest of the sunset before they had to return back to their home.

Roxas of course, would actually look forward to his next mission here, for more than one reason.

_**XIII**_

**Chappy-san: Longest. Chapter. EVER! (That I have written) This was over 20 pages long, and I when I saw how many pages it was, I nearly screamed. Like: WHAT THE HELL?!?! NO WAY! But that's okay! I hope you see this long chapter (in my opinion) as a good thing! And a possible yaoi...? Maybe this'll be an love octagon...or a love shape with a lot A LOT of sides... . Anyway, I would like to thank **_**NinjaSheik, blblblblbl, and Nyxar **_**for being my first (and only :( ) reviews. Thank you so much though! You guys make me happy! **ヽ (´▽`)/

**Anyway, I hope that this is satisfying enough for you! Though I wish I had more viewers and reviewers~ ^_^ **

**And again, another sneak preview of the next chapter~ :D Aren't I amazing? Haha**

_**SNEAK PREVIEW**_

"_Axel, as an old friend, you are the only person who is aware of this. Please, don't abuse this power." The fake emotion put into Saïx's words were very new to hear to anyone, but it was something that Axel hadn't heard in a long time._

_Axel leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. "This doesn't have anything to do with Roxas meeting Naminé does it? Because if it does, it was my fault, I shouldn't have let him-"_

_Saïx, surprised by Axel's sudden comment and protectiveness over the newfound member, couldn't help but feel a little stung by it. After all, Lea was his best friend. _

_But not anymore. That was a thing of the past, and he needed to let it go, sooner or later. This new adoration between his old friend and this new member was just another reason for him to get over it. Saïx was known to be hard, and the person to make sure everything ran smoothly around here, but even once in a while he yearned for that "friendship" that all of the members seem to have towards one another. Even if he wouldn't show it._

_Before Axel could notice anything wrong, Said replied emotionlessly, yet hotly, "Of course not. It has to do with something more important than that. It has to do with us receiving another member."_

_Axel listened in, a look of agitation setting in. __**Great, more babysitting.**__ Is what went through his mind. "What about a new member?" He quizzed, waiting for Saïx to finish._

_Saïx, seeing as how Axel didn't fully understand the situation, said, "Another member....Who can __**also**__ wield a keyblade."_

_**XIII**_


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